"Life's either a daring adventure or nothing." Helen Keller

Do You Hear Miss Q Sing?

We started our summer, much to my delight, with Miss Q discovering the wonder of musicals. Specifically Les Mis. (Les Miserables for those in the dark.)

To clarify, I’m still not sure if the themes that weave throughout Les Mis are preschooler appropriate, but due to the fact she was captivated the minute the PBS 25th Anniversary Special came on, I decided to let the suggestive themes and mature content slide.

After stumbling upon the program twice, and watching her sit fixated on the screen, mouth slightly open as Alfie Boe (Jean Valjean) belted out Who am I? I decided to let Miss Q in on a little secret – I owned the 2 disc CD set.

I used to own the tape version, but it got played to death – probably the universe’s punishment for me stealing it from my parents. Until my mum replaced “my” warped tape with the 2 CD set, I had no idea the scope of this production. Turns out the tape was just highlights. Serves my thieving self right.

All was well with listening to my CD’s in the living room, while the littles played, and sometimes danced to the songs, until the phrase, “Come on captain you can wear your shoes, Don’t it have a change to have a girl who can’t refuse…” was sung, and not by a prostitute.

Nope, the musical wasn’t playing at all that afternoon. Miss Q was playing with her ponies and singing the phrase over and over again.

If I wanted to probe, I would have asked her if she understood what she was singing, but really? Though I fully believe in open and honest communication with my littles, did I want to open that can of whoop-ass? Maybe it was time to steer her to another song. “What other song do you like?” Whatever it was, I was prepared to play it over and over until she had it stuck in her head.

Thinking about it for a moment, she said, “I like the song that that boy sings (LittlePeople) and Do You Hear The People Sing.”

“Yeah. I also like Master of the House. That mean guy and his wife are so funny.”

And slightly gross, but the music is so lively and vivid, who can’t help but tap their feet along with the Innkeeper and his wife?

As luck would have it, Mama Mia came to Vancouver this summer. Next to Rent, this is one of my most favourite musicals. I seriously toyed with buying tickets for myself and Miss Q, hoping on a ferry and sitting in the front row – afterall, she was in my belly the first time I saw Mama Mia, it would complete the circle.

Even though I know so deep in my heart she would have eaten the whole experience up, the nagging feeling of spending mucho moo-lah to take a four-year-old to a musical won out, and we took her to Winnie the Pooh instead. However, I’ve vowed the next time it’s close, we’ll be there.

Speaking of full circle, with the end of summer upon us (preschool start again this Monday) today has found Miss Q stuck on a phrase of a song, she vaguely remembers from Lady and the Tramp. (No, she hasn’t asked me what a tramp is, yet.)

So as the sun sets on the hottest day of the year, “We are Siamese if you please. We are Siamese if you don’t please,” is being sung by Miss Q in her gentle voice.

Naturally, I brought the song up on YouTube, in hopes of breaking the broken record, as well as playing a cat song from the Aristocats, in hopes of replacing it with something else – it was no use.

So, with the knowledge it could be worse, I say join her: We are Siamese if you please (meow) We are Siamese if you don’t please. (And repeat.)

Me

I enjoy watching soccer in the rain. Most of our crafts involve glitter, finger paint or both. I am learning to eat my vegetables. And, whether in socks or bare feet, I absolutely hate stepping on Lego. Here I blog about life with my three little girls, husband and dog.